Hi Chris - Good question; and the way you've phrased it shows you have a good understanding of the topic.  As you reference it's about accounting for max dB loss from source to listener(s).  Assuming uniform coverage pattern and listener positions your second choice - "...where the neighboring loudspeaker provides equal coverage" makes sense.  But for listener positions (if any) around outside edges of the coverage pattern area it could be your first choice; "..edge of dispersion cone".  Given headroom is also part of the equation, can't hurt to use that as the larger of the two.

Nice!  Kudos for your ongoing professional development - keep us posted!

Ratnesh's passion and free sharing of his experience with, and for, Standards was the hallmark of AV industry volunteerism.   Our hearts go out to his family and friends at this time of loss.

I'd agree that "software based" solutions will continue to increase.  To be a bit more specific, these are applications that use (often in the cloud) "generic" processing power to handle some aspect(s) of AV signals and/or functions - be it audio, video and/or (as you note) control.  This is mostly happening in the "middle" of the system signal flow (input and output devices by and large persist).  So, I'd also see it (continuing to) evolving workforce training content but depending on job roles (and tasks) the core pro AV knowledge (existing) will still be needed.  Outside of AI (another topic!) switches, knobs and dials, whether physical or virtual, don't move themselves to proper settings in a specific AV system/environment.   Is it not more of a shift of learning (new) custom software apps vs. dealing with as many "hands on" boxes?

and of course the CTS-D JTA

Same goes for the CTS-I JTA

Right on!  Another resource is AVIXA's Recommended Practices for Security in Networked Audiovisual Systems | AVIXA.